When you think about the people tracking the move of every dollar in Silicon Valley, you probably imagine some grizzled finance vet or a tech bro with a keyboard. But if you've been following the deep dives into the plumbing of the internet lately, you've likely seen the name Ellen Thomas Business Insider popping up. Honestly, she's become one of the go-to voices for anyone trying to understand why their electric bill is going up or why Salesforce is suddenly acting like a different company.
Ellen Thomas isn't just another name in a byline. She is currently a Cloud Computing Providers Reporter at Business Insider, focusing on the massive, often invisible infrastructure that keeps our digital lives running.
Most people recognize her for her recent, award-winning work on data centers. It’s the kind of reporting that sounds dry on paper—infrastructure, power grids, zoning—but in reality, it’s about how AI is literally changing the physical landscape of America.
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Who is Ellen Thomas at Business Insider?
Before she was digging into the energy demands of OpenAI and Oracle, Thomas had a completely different beat. It’s kinda interesting how journalists pivot. She spent years in the retail and beauty world. We’re talking about the high-stakes coverage of giants like P&G, Unilever, and Walmart. She worked at WWD (Women's Wear Daily) and its sister publication Beauty Inc. before making the jump to Business Insider.
That background in consumer goods gave her a weirdly perfect perspective for tech. Why? Because SaaS (Software as a Service) is basically just the modern version of a utility. You need it, you pay for it monthly, and you notice immediately when it’s gone.
From Beauty to Big Tech
When she joined Business Insider’s tech desk in 2022, she didn't just dip her toes in. She went straight for the heavy hitters.
- Salesforce: She’s been a lead voice on the Marc Benioff beat, especially during the 2023 era of activist investor pressure.
- The SaaS Shakeup: She tracked how the "growth at all costs" model died and was replaced by a brutal focus on margins.
- Cloud Infrastructure: This is where she really hit her stride, moving from the software side to the actual physical servers.
The Data Center Investigation That Changed Everything
If you want to know why Ellen Thomas Business Insider is a name that industry insiders respect, you have to look at her 2024 work on data centers. Along with a team of reporters, she helped create what is basically the most comprehensive map of data centers in the United States.
They didn't just ask companies for a list. They dug through obscure state records and corporate disclosures. They consulted researchers to find the 1,240 data centers either built or approved by the end of 2024. That’s four times the amount we had in 2010.
It's not just about "the cloud" being some fluffy concept in the sky. Her reporting showed that these centers are "energy vampires." In places like Northern Virginia, data centers are appearing in residential backyards. Neighbors are complaining about the constant hum and vibrations.
Why her reporting matters for your wallet
You might think a data center in Virginia has nothing to do with someone in Wyoming or Arizona. But Thomas’s reporting for Business Insider highlighted a scary reality: utility customers in at least 41 states are seeing or expecting rate hikes by 2026.
This is the "AI tax" no one tells you about. Because AI requires so much computational power, we need more data centers. Those centers need massive amounts of electricity and millions of gallons of water. When the grid has to expand to accommodate a Meta or Microsoft facility, guess who often helps pick up the tab for the infrastructure? The local taxpayers.
Award-Winning Impact and E-E-A-T
Journalism is a tough gig, but Thomas has the receipts. Her series on the transformation of Northern Virginia won a Silver Award from the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) in 2024 for Best Investigative Report or Series.
This is a great example of what Google calls E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). She isn't just summarizing news; she's on the ground. She’s talking to people like Carlos Yanes, who spent $20,000 on new windows just to muffle the sound of an Amazon data center near his house. She’s looking at how Microsoft data centers in Arizona are approved to use 3 million gallons of water a day in a state that is literally running out of it.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse Ellen Thomas with the late, legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Totally different era, totally different focus. While Helen was asking presidents the hard questions, Ellen is asking the hard questions of the "new" presidents—the CEOs of companies that own our data and our power.
Another misconception is that her work is just "pro-tech" or "anti-tech." Honestly, it's more about the friction between the digital world and the physical one. She covers how AI doesn't just live in a chip; it lives in a building that needs a permit, a water line, and a massive connection to the power grid.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Tech Consumer
If you're following the work of Ellen Thomas Business Insider, you shouldn't just read the articles and move on. There are real-world takeaways here for business owners and homeowners alike.
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- Watch Your Local Zoning: If you live in a tech-heavy corridor, pay attention to rezoning meetings. Data centers often move into land intended for housing.
- Audit Your SaaS Spend: Just as Thomas reports on the "belt-tightening" at companies like Salesforce, you should be looking at your own software subscriptions. The era of cheap, subsidized cloud software is over.
- Keep an Eye on Utility Rates: In 2026, keep a close watch on your electric bill. Look for "infrastructure adjustment" fees. Often, these are the indirect costs of the AI boom being passed down to you.
- Follow the Infrastructure, Not the Hype: While everyone else is talking about what ChatGPT can say, follow Thomas's lead and look at where the servers are being built. That’s where the real money is moving.
The digital economy isn't invisible. It has a physical footprint, and it's getting bigger every day. Following reporters who understand the intersection of "Big Tech" and "Big Infrastructure" is the only way to stay ahead of the curve in a world where AI is literally eating the grid.